Assessments of air quality in industrial cities are receiving much attention, especially in regions sensitive to the ecological and climate changes. The atmospheric aerosol loading was studied in the city of Novy Urengoy during the summer–autumn of 2023. Particle number concentration and the mass concentration of particles with a size less than 10 µm (PM10) and 2.5 µm (PM2.5), as well as black carbon (BC), were measured by the mobile Aerosol Complex. The portion of fossil fuel combustion (FF

Research on air pollution in large cities by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is one of the priority tasks for assessing air quality and environmental risks to public health. The chemical composition of aerosols sampled in spring (2018), fall (2019), and winter (2019–2020) at the Aerosol Complex of Moscow State University, located on the urban background territory of the Moscow Megacity, is analyzed. Sixteen priority PAH compounds were identified using gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The median value of the total concentration of the 16 PAHs (Σ16PAH) increases from the spring season (1.43 ng/m3) to the fall season (1.68 ng/m3) and then to the winter season (2.47 ng/m3). Based on the diagnostic relationships of PAHs, the dominant contribution of transport, industrial enterprises, and the heating system to the total emissions was determined. Pollution roses indicate the location of sources of maximum concentrations of low-, medium-, and high-molecular PAHs. Pollution episodes are distinguished: in the spring of 2018 under the influence of the transport of smoke plumes of agricultural fires and in the fall of 2019 as a result of petrogenic emissions and an increase in biomass burning in the residential sector around Moscow. In the winter and fall seasons, the highest values of carcinogenic (0.45 and 0.42) and mutagenic (0.58 and 0.55) equivalents for benzo(a)pyrene were recorded in comparison with the spring season (0.26 and 0.38). The lifetime risk of developing lung cancer, calculated from the data for three seasons, is 0.5 cases per one million people.

The assessment of aerosol pollution of the atmosphere in the high-latitude regions of the Arctic is among the most important environmental and climate problems. In the summer of 2022, due to abnormal temperatures and a lack of precipitation, the wildfire areas in the Western Siberia and European part of the Russian Federation reached record levels. At the polar aerosol station of the Moscow State University “Island Bely” (the Kara Sea), continuous aethalometric measurements of the short-lived climatic tracer namely black carbon are carried out. In August 2022, seven episodes of pollution were recorded, significantly exceeding the background typical for the Arctic summer. An analysis of the aerosol absorption capacity in a wide range of solar radiation revealed a significant effect of wildfire plumes on the aerosol composition of the Arctic atmosphere. The distribution of high concentrations of black carbon depending on the wind direction and speed pointed to the southern direction, Yamal Peninsula, as a source of high pollution. Regional distribution of black carbon sources calculated by the method of assigning air mass transfer trajectories to measured concentrations on Bely Island identifies the regions of the Western Siberia, the northern and central regions of the European part of Russia, the steppe regions of the East European Plain, and the Southern Urals. Wildfires from identified source regions impacted significantly the composition of the climatically active aerosol component of the atmosphere.

A methodological framework for a system of ecological and geochemical monitoring of urban landscapes has been developed based on a joint analysis of the chemical composition of microparticles in transit (atmospheric aerosol and precipitation, river water and suspended sediments) and depositing (road dust, snow and soil covers, bottom sediments) environments. For automated monitoring on the territory of the Lomonosov Moscow State University Meteorological Observatory, the Aerosol Complex has been created, and seasonal variations in mass concentrations of PM10, black carbon, metals, metalloids, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in atmospheric aerosol and precipitation in the Moscow megacity has been analyzed. In the aerosol-precipitation subsystem, a high washout capacity of precipitation with respect to Pb, Sb, As, Ni, Mg, K, Al, and S in the aerosols has been revealed. The enrichment of PM10 with metals and metalloids decreases in the snow-road dust-soil series, and Sb, W, Bi, Sn, Cd, Cu, Pb, Mo, and Zn are accumulated in PM10 in all three environments. The particles of PM10 suspended matter and of the Moskva River bottom sediments play a key role in transport and accumulation of Pb, Cu, Ni, and V.

Moscow megacity has a big gap in assessment of air quality, resulting in severe aerosol pollution. Black carbon (BC) concentrations over different timescales, including weekly and diurnal, are studied during four seasons of 2019–2020 at urban background site. Seasonal BC varies from 0.9 to 25.5 μg/m3 with a mean of 1.7 ± 1.4 μg/m3. Maximum mean BC equal to 2.2 ± 1.8 μg/m3 was observed in spring. Diurnal trends of black carbon concentrations differ in spring/summer and autumn/winter periods, they exhibit morning and evening peaks corresponding to traffic combined with the boundary layer height effect. The weekly cycle of BC characterizes the highest amount of combustion-related pollution on working days and the characteristics of population migration from a city for weekend. Seasonal pollution roses show the direction of the highest BC contamination. For identification of BC sources relating to traffic, heat and power plants, and industry around the site, polar plots are used. The spectral dependence of the aerosol light attenuation provides the estimate for Absorption Angstrom Exponent (AAE). We use the AAE above 1.3 and high frequency of AAE observation above 1 in order to support the assessment for a contribution of biomass burning in the region around Moscow in autumn and winter as well as of agriculture fires and wildfires in warm seasons. Air masses arriving to a city from fire-affected regions in spring and summer impact urban air pollution.

Research data on the isotopic composition of carbon in soil lipids in the Zhirnovskoe and Bakhmet’evskoe oil and gas fields in the Medveditsa River basin, Volgograd oblast, Russia, are analyzed. Oil and atmospheric soil pollution is recorded. The variations in the isotopic composition are determined by both anthropogenic factors and the diversity of natural conditions. The isotopic composition of carbon in the lipids of the interfluvial soils (chernozems) is heavier (–26.9 to –29.2‰) than that in the alluvial soils (–29.4 to –31.3‰) because of the differences in the moistening and temperature conditions. Oil pollution appears as a lighter isotopic composition (–29.3 to –29.8‰) since oil isotopic composition is in general somewhat lighter (–28.4 to –30.6‰) as compared with unpolluted soils. Urban and transport infrastructure makes the isotopic composition of atmospheric CO2 lighter, thereby influencing the δ13С values of plants and soils.

Detailed mapping of soils under a multi-row 4-km-long 50-year-old forest shelterbelt crossing diverse landforms and under adjacent croplands was performed at the key site in Belgorod oblast, in the south of the Central Russian Upland. Samples were collected in 30 points both in the central part of the shelterbelt and at distances of 30 meters on both sides of the shelterbelt. Maps of the depth of humus horizon, organic carbon content, depth of carbonates, and the soil map were compiled; indices of richness, diversity (Shannon, Simpson, Rao) and taxonomic distances (as a quantitative indicator of soil cover contrasts) were calculated. It was shown that soils under the shelterbelt are less contrasting among one another and more diverse than soils of the adjacent croplands. The shelterbelt effect on pedodiversity at the key site extends over adjacent areas affected by periodic waterlogging due to the barrier function of the shelterbelt.

Soil hydrocarbons investigation is relevant nowadays, becuse of their ubiquitous distribution and toxity. In polluted areas it is important to find out the sources of hydrocarbons and their apportiontment. Many studies are devoted to this problem, which include many methods of statistical analysis. Studies were held on different territories in USA (Simcik, S.J. Eisenreich, P.J. Lioy, 1999; Li, Jang, Scheff, 2003), China (Zuo et al., 2007; Liu et al., 2009), Germany (Pietrogrande et al., 2011), etc. Current study was held for the part of Volgogradskaya oblast’ (Russia). Soils were analysed for 11 different PAHs content.

To characterize the native component of the hydrocarbon status of soils in different bioclimatic zones, representative soils were studied in the East European Plain within the middle and southern taiga, forest-steppe, and semidesert zones. The samples were analyzed for the contents of hexane-soluble bitumens (bitumoids), normal and iso -alkanes (C 14 –C 35 ), individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, polyarenes), and soil hydrocarbon gases. It was found that the parameters of the native hydrocarbon status of soils are rather similar in different bioclimatic zones. For the background (uncontaminated) soils forming on interfluves, the following concentrations of native hydrocarbons were determined: up to 25 ppm (often, less than 5 ppm) of hexane bitumoid, no more than 60 ppb of the sum of 11 PAHs, and no more than 1 ppb of individual n-alkanes. Polyarenes were represented mainly by the lightest two- and three-ring compounds. The content of hydrocarbon gases retained by the soils varied widely. In 100% of cases, methane was the most common gas (from 1.8 to 3994 ppmv, 5.14 ppmv on average). Ethylene was less common (0.04–54.5 ppmv, 4.1 ppmv on average). Heavier alkane gases were less common and were present in amounts ranging from 0.02 to 4.09 ppmv (on average, 0.53 ppmv).

Temperate grassland soils are typically a sink for carbon. However, it is estimated that up to 99% of tallgrass prairies in North America have been converted to another land use. These conversions can lead to increased soil erosion and soil organic carbon (SOC) mineralization rates, turning a large carbon sink into a source. The purpose of this study was to compare by land use the retention of SOC, TSN, and fly ash on sloping landscapes with an emphasis on measuring the subsoil in addition to the surface soil. Eight paired plots were established on adjacent, sloping landscape profiles in western Iowa; one site a cropland and the other a remnant tallgrass prairie. The prairie landscape had a baseline SOC stock of 232 Mg-C ha-1. After roughly 150 years of agriculture the cropland had 52% less SOC, 39% less TSN, and 22% less fly ash which equates to annual losses of 0.55 Mg-C ha-1 yr-1, 0.04 Mg-N ha-1 yr-1, and 0.0002 Mg-fly ash ha-1 yr-1.

Profile distribution and seasonal dynamics of hydrocarbon gases (methane, ethylene, propane, nbutane and ethane) in soil air within the Istra morphostructure node and beyond the geodynamically active territory were analyzed. It was revealed that under probable inflow of hydrocarbons from the underlying geological strata the properties of hydrocarbon gaseous profile of the soils within the node are different from those of the background area. It is concluded that emanation and biogeochemical hydrocarbon status of soils could be indicated basing on their gaseous profiles.

The composition and distribution features of the main components of soil hydrocarbon complex― organic (noncarbonate) carbon, hexane bitumoids, and individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)―in the area of depleted Bakhilovo asphalt deposit (Samara oblast) have been studied. According to their proportions, three genetic types of soil hydrocarbon status are distinguished: (a) emanation–injection type prevailing within the limits of the former production field and characterized by anomalous contents of heavy resinous bitumoids (5000–7000 mg/kg on the average) throughout the soil profile and a high content of PAHs (4–9 mg/kg on the average, 29 mg/kg as the maximum, with the dominance of naphthalene homologues); (b) emanation–biogeochemical type confined to mechanogenically undisturbed soils within and beyond the deposit area, where the emanation component is manifested in soils with heavy texture and higher concentrations and very light composition of bitumoids in the lower parts of the soil profile; and (c) atmosedimentation–biogeochemical type characteristic of conventionally background soils with light texture; benzo[ a ]pyrene traces are detected among PAHs in the upper soil horizon, which indicates the input of this hydrocarbon with aerosols from the atmosphere; the concentrations of bitumoids and PAHs in parent rocks are lower than in the soils.